Loom weight hanger mechanism



April 9, 1946. J. P. BLOUIN LOOM WEIGHT HANGER MECHANISM Filed March 4, 1944 a Q V 9 v Wi lh 9 a s a n p mayayawwvvwfig w him Patented Apr. 9, 1946 LOOM WEIGHT HANGER MECHANISM Joseph P. Blouin, Methuen, Mass., assig-nor to Pacific Mills, Lawrence, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Application March 4, 1944, Serial No. 524,985

1 Claim.

This invention relates to an improvement in looms whereby a more uniform woven product is secured.

Heretofore in the weaving of dress goods, yard goods, and the like, it has been necessary to stop the loom in order to make the required changes in warp thread tension with resultant undesirable thick and thin places in the woven product.

In accordance with the present invention there is provided an improved warp tension means which is capable of ready adjustment without stopping the regular operation of the loom and, in this way, thick and thin places in the woven product due to such stoppages are eliminated.

Specifically, the invention provides a novel mechanism for adjusting the position of the weight lever which, in turn, controls the tension of the warp threads in a loom and this mechanism may be manually adjusted without stopping the loom.

In the drawing, which illustrates the preferred embodiment of my invention- Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic perspective view of the mechanism;

Fig. 2 is a view of the device for adjusting the position of the weight lever; and

Fig. 3 is a cross-section of Fig. 2 on the line 3, 3. 1

The whip roll R is journaled at each end in an arm A which is pivoted at Al on the frame. The warp threads W, which are wound on the warp beam B, pass over the whip roll to the weaving instrumentalities of the loom. In weaving, the tension of the warp thread varies and thereby causes the whip roll to swing a short distancewith its carrying arms forward or back.

When the warp threads W tighten, the whip roll swings forward and its arm A, which bears against the laterally projecting arm CI of the bell crank lever C pivoted at C2 on the loom frame, rocks the lever C counterclockwise to move its forward end C3 to the left. This carries the link C4, to which C3 is pivotally secured, and pivoted link C5 to the left. There is the same arrangement on the opposite side of the loom (not shown) to which the rod CI!) is connected and Through this adjusting device the warp beam brake lever E, pivoted at El onthe frame, is raised and the pressure of the brake E2 on the warp beam is relieved, through well known mechanism, diagrammatically illustrated, so that the tension of the warp threads is decreased. This allows the whip roll to swing rearwardly and to carry the arm A rearwardly and permits the weight on weight lever C1 to move the lever C clockwise as far as permitted by the arm A.

When the warps become slack, the whip roll swings rearward carrying its arm A rearward. This permits the weighton the weight lever CI to turn the lever C clockwise and to depress lever C1 and lower the rod D of the adjusting device. Thereby the'end of the warp beam lever E is depressed to increase the pressure of the brake on the warp beam and thereby increase the tension of the warp threads. In this way the tension of the warp threads is not allowed to vary unduly but is maintained nearly constant. The parts so far described are not part of my invention.

Heretofore, the adjusting device, of which the rod D is a part, has been so constructed that it was necessary to stop the loom in order to reset the adjusting device. This caused a general slacking oil of the warp threads and consequently the appearance of thin and thick places in the cloth when the weaving was resumed.

By means of the apparatus of my invention the adjustments may be made without stopping the loom and the thin and thick places, caused by the stopping of the loom for adjustment as above stated, are eliminated.

As the warp threads are taken from the warp beam, the diameter of the mass of threads on the beam decreases and the tension of the warp threads required to actuate the let-01f increases. To compensate for this the operator takes a weight off of the weight lever. This may cause the weight lever to assume a different position somewhat out of the horizontal. In order that the pressure of the brake lever shall be at an optimum, the weight lever C'I should be in a substantially horizontal position. The weight lever is adjusted to horizontal or optimum position without stopping the loom by my adjusting device,

which, in its preferred form, is as follows:

The rod D. the upper end of which is pivoted to the weight lever 01, extends down through a slot in the bracket D9on the loom frame and through a hole in the brake lever E and has attached to it near its lower end a. collar Di which is secured to the rod by a screw-bolt. Between the collar and the lever E on the rod D is a coil spring D2. Surrounding the rod D above the brake lever E is a coil spring D3 which abuts against the sleeve D4 which has an hexagonal head D5. Secured to, or integral with, the head D5 is an upward extension D6 having external threads. On these threads are threaded a locknut D1 and a sleeve D8 which projects upward with its upper end bearing against the bottom of the bracket D9. The parts are loose on rod D. 1

In making the adjustment, the locknut D1 is loosened and the sleeve D8 is screwed up or down, as desired, on the sleeve D6. When the adjustment of the sleeve D8 has been made the locknut is reset.

The adjustment of the sleeve D8, up or down,

compresses or relieves the sprin D3, which bears on the top of the brake lever E, and thereby depresses or relieves the pressure on the lever E, and at the same time compresses or relieves the spring D2 between the collar DI on the rod D.

The adjustment of sleeve D8 also adjusts the position of the lever 01. When the sleeve D8 is adjusted to move sleeve D4 downward and to compress spring D3, the right end of lever E is depressed and the brake E2 tightened. This increases the tension on the warps W which presses the whip roll arm A forward thereby turning the lever Cl C3 counterclockwise and pulling the link C5 to the left. This rocks weight lever 01 about its pivot C8 and raises the right end or lever C1. Conversely, when sleeve D8 is adjusted to relieve the pressure on spring D3, the right end of lever E is raised and the pressure of the brake E2 is relieved. This decreases. the tension on the warps W and permits the weight lever C1 to pull the link C5, to rock lever Cl, C3 clockwise and lower the right end of lever C1.

The adjustment of the sleeve D9 and the consequent adjustment of the brake lever E and or weight lever C! can be made gradually, and without an abrupt change in warp tension, while the loom is running, and thus be distributed over a number of picks so that no thick or thin places are formed in the cloth. as has occurred in the past when it was necessary to stop the loom to make the adjustment. With my device it is necessary only to unlock the threaded element and adjust that element by turning it and relocking it.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided an improved and useful device that makes for a more uniform and hence more desirable and saleable woven product.

Having described my invention, I claim:

' In mechanism for controlling the tension of the warp threads of a loom having a frame, a whip. roll, a warp beam, a weighted lever pivoted on the loom frame and adapted to be raised or lowered with the movement of the whip roll, a rod pivoted to said lever and extending downwardly,

, a lever having at one end a brake to controlthe let-off of the warp beam and connected at the other end to said rod, and a coil spring supported by said lever and loose on said rod, the combination of a bracket on the loom frame having a slot through which said rod passes, a sleeve loose on said rod and supported on said spring and having. a threaded upward extension, and a second sleeve screw-threadedly connected to said extension and having its upper end bearing against the bottom or said bracket. I

JOSEPH P. BLOUIN.- 

